Mike Helgeson, chief executive officer of GNP Company, St. Cloud, Minnesota, was elected to serve as 2013-2014 chairman of the National Chicken Council (NCC) during NCC’s Board of Directors meeting held Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

Mike Helgeson

“It’s a great honor to serve as the incoming chair for the National Chicken Council, and I look forward to serving the chicken industry in the upcoming year,” Helgeson said. “Ours is a vibrant and dynamic industry, one with great opportunities as well as ongoing challenges. As I take the gavel today, I’m optimistic that we’ll continue to step-up to not only meet but exceed the challenges and opportunities the next year will bring us.”

Serving as vice chairman for 2013-2014 is Jerry Lane, president of Claxton Poultry in Claxton, Georgia. New to the officer corps, Todd Simmons, Chief Executive Officer of Simmons Foods, takes over as Secretary-Treasurer.